The Portland daily press., 1887-01-12
INVENTED OCCUPATIONS.
Some Women who are Making LIv-
Ing.


Harpers Bazaar.
There are number of employments
awaiting those who are wise enough to de-
which, the moment they are named, strike
everyone with wonder that they have not
been in use before, and which are perfectly
suitable for young women who have filed
stations in society which unfit them for much
rude or rough work. Take, for instance, the
baking of fine cake. Some dozen years ago
young lady returning from Europe found
herself on her native shores almost desti
tute, nearly all her property having suddenly
been lost. An accident caused one of her
friends to learn that she knew how to make
a delicious cake of sort hitherto untasted
over here. The friend, seized with an idea,
took portion Of the cake to another friend;
the other friend, about to give an entertain
ment, desired the novelty; presently every
body else desired it, and was willing to pay
for it and keeping her recipe to herself. she
soon found herself with enough occupation
for her own time and that Of several assis
tants, and the founder OF business that
grew so as to make not only a comfortable
income but a property.
Another course that we have heard of is
that of a young lady with a sort Of genius
for costume millinery and general parapher-
MALTA. While wealthy herself she could in
dulge her taste, and when in reduced circum-
stances IL was more a cross TO her that she
could not indulge this taste of devising and
designing and seeing results than that she
could no longer wear the striking costumes
herself. The pleasure of suggesting c0mbi-
nations and outlines to various of her old
friends who had not deserted her made her
see that it was possible to turn her talent to
account. Now many ladies-whO do not
wish to be merely tame replicas of fashion
plates in dress, but while adapting their ma
terial in the main to the demands of fashion,
so that they shall not seem at all out of style,
prefer to maintain an individuality through
it all that shall bring out their own good
points and subdue their bad ones, go to her
for the sketch of dress suitable to their
shape and manner, according to her ideas,
harmonizing or contrasting, but never MAX
ing discOrd, with their personal peeuliari-
ties, and she has found the work paying as
well as a profession.
Everybody knows of the lady who made
some dolls shoes for a fair, which shoes
sold so well as to let it seem worth her while
to make others and put them on sale for her
own profit, and doing so she met long un-
filled want, and rapidly became the head of
a large business, furnishing for years the
greater part of all the dolls shoes made in
the country. But few people perhaps have
heard OF the young lady who, needing to
help herself, and seeing the market full Of
poorly paid music and painting teachers, and
the shops full of unstable water-colors, be-
thought herself of one accomplishment that
had always brought her in applause. She
secured with hardly any difficulty several
classes in whist playing, and every day met
her classes at the appointed hours, having
soon more eager learners at good prices than
she could do justice to, whist playing includ-
ing both mnemonics and mathematics to a
degreethat demands continuous study and In
struction on the part of those who would
perfect themselves in its art.
Still another occupation suggested itself to
young person by the fact that often when
the lamps of house were trimmed by the
maid they smoked or otherwise misbehaved
but when one of the ladies Of the house at
tended to them their flame was clear anC
bright and still more by the fact that Otter
their care was the last part of the days work
and then the late trimming endangered the
house. Since lamps have become fashion
able, and so often replace gas with theil
steady light, the matter Of their trimming
has acquired some weight; and thinking the
matter over, our young person decided tC
| offer her service in the sole matter Of lamI
| trimming, and now, armed with her imple
ments, she goes from house to house clean
ing and filling the lamps, straining the old
| oil, and setting 1t aside for furniture polisl
| when too thick for burning well, attending
| to wicks, rubbing up burners and cleaning
| chimneys, leaving everything about them in
| desirable trim for the night, and then goine
| on to the next, willing to do the work with
scientific neatness for the sake of small
| weekly stipend, in view of the number OF
| stipends, so many housekeepers having
| shown themselves delighted to have lamps
| that burn like those of the wise virgins, anC
to be rid of all the soiling and malodoroui
work